Proverbs 15:33 ( KJV ) reads as follows:
"The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility."
Proverbs 16:18 ( KJV ) reads as follows:
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
Luke 19:1-10 ( KJV ) read as follows:
"And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down: for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).
Philippians 2:1-8 ( NKJV ) read as follows:
"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."
With all of the above-given verses from the Holy Bible in mind, we see both the danger associated with the sin ( see 1 John 3:4, for example; KJV, for example ) of pride, and the importance of humility. The lessons of Proverbs 15:33 and Proverbs 16:18 are obvious.
However, you, the reader, might be wondering how one would derive a lesson in humility from Luke 19:1-10. First of all, we must realize that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth ( see Matthew 28:18 and John 5:26, 27, for example ). Secondly, Luke 19:5 teaches that Jesus looked up and saw Zacchaeus. It is the act of Jesus looking up to see Zacchaeus that provides this lesson.
Specifically, Jesus ( Who has all authority in heaven and on earth ) looked up to Zacchaeus ( who was a mere man, and "little of stature" ( recall Luke 19:3; KJV )). With this observation in mind, the following question arises, namely: how do we view someone who is shorter than us? Our natural tendency is to consider someone, who is shorter than us, to be less important.
Jesus, in looking up to Zacchaeus, teaches the lesson that we are to esteem others better than ourselves ( recall Philippians 2:3; NKJV, for example ). Furthermore, when considering Philippians 2:1-8, we see the significance of Jesus' humility. Jesus was willing to put the interests of everyone else ahead of His own interests: He died on the cross of Calvary for the sins of everyone ( see also Luke 23:26-49 ( especially verse 33, for example ) and Romans 6:10 ( NKJV; for example ), for example ).
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:
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<Russell E. Willis>
